Council first as officials defer appointment of city CEO

Cork’s city councillors took the unprecedented decision last night to defer the appointment of the city’s new chief executive.

It is the first time that the council has departed from what is normally just a routine rubber-stamping of the appointment of a candidate recommended by the Public Appointments Service.

Councillors have now sought an informal in-committee meeting with the new CEO-in-waiting, Ann Doherty, within the next two weeks, during which they hope to explore with her her vision for the city.

The unanimous decision to defer her appointment was taken after Fianna Fáil Cllr Terry Shannon raised the issue when it came before council for decision.

“I have nothing personal against the candidate in question,” said Cllr Shannon. But he said his party would be anxious to meet Ms Doherty and exchange views, and to explore her vision and ambition for the city over the coming years.

He was backed by party colleague Tim Brosnan who questioned Ms Doherty’s experience of dealing with local authority planning matters.

“We have to have the right manager going forward and we want to hear what she has in mind for the city,” he said.

Cllr Tom O’Driscoll (FF) said the last four city managers were known to council because they had a track record in local government.

“That is not the case this time,” he said.

They were backed by Cllr Chris O’Leary (SF) and Cllr Mick Finn (Ind).

Acting chief executive, Dan Buggy, said councillors must make their decision within three months of the PAS recommendation, and he warned that there is no provision in law for the process which would unfold if councillors voted to defer the decision.

But Mr Shannon said while there was nothing in law to say they could defer, they was nothing to say they couldn’t defer either.

Unlike previous city managers, Ms Doherty does not have a background in local authorities.

Her first job was as a general nurse at the former Cork Regional Hospital.

In 2004, she was appointed general manager of the Cork University Hospital Group. Later that year she was appointed as a national director of the HSE and later worked on the National Cancer Control Programme, supporting two cancer centres in the south and developing Radiation Oncology for Ireland.

Two years ago, she was appointed CEO of the University of Limerick Hospitals Group.